Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 8: The Impostor Yin Chai
Ten crossbow bolts shot forward, and Ji Zichen stepped up, seemingly ready to shield himself with his body. Lin Chuyu and Chen San simultaneously shouted, "Brother Ji! Young Hero!"
The Judge wore a cold expression, yet he was surprised by Ji Zichen's actions. "Are you seeking death by refusing to resist?"
Ji Zichen was certainly not looking for death. His tone was calm and flat. "This won't work on me!"
As soon as Ji Zichen finished speaking, the ten crossbow bolts flew in a straight line across the wooden bridge. One bolt aimed directly at Ji Zichen's forehead. It seemed as though an invisible shield surrounded him; despite the bolt being mere inches away from claiming his life, all ten bolts suddenly halted in mid-air, as if caught in a struggle.
Before the bolts were fired, Ji Zichen's Wind Buddha Bead dimmed. This time, he did not use the Wind Barrier to protect himself; instead, he transformed the Wind Barrier into a powerful gust that blew the bolts back.
The bolts clashed against the wind, but ultimately, the wind prevailed, sending all ten bolts rebounding toward their original shooters. The ten Officers had never witnessed anyone deflect arrows in such a manner. As they saw the bolts hurtling back at them faster than they had been shot, they screamed in terror, "Ahhh!"
Moments later, several Officers fell to the ground, struck by their own arrows. Blood sprayed onto Goddess Luo, splattering her face and clothes. She immediately recoiled in disgust, shrieking as she wiped away the bloodstains. "How gross! I've been splattered with disgusting blood!"
Seeing his Officers killed, the Judge remained impassive. "Impressive."
He then turned to Luo and coldly instructed her, "Luo, step aside and be quiet; this person is not simple."
Luo instinctively fell silent and moved to the side.
Ji Zichen began to piece things together. "Is this Ghostly Veil? We haven't left Underworld Town yet, have we?"
The Judge's eyes glimmered with intrigue. "How did you figure that out?"
Ji Zichen watched as he admitted, "It's that Judgment Order. No, to be precise, it's Yin Chai Ling. You, a being neither human nor ghost, are called Judge. Don't you find that amusing? Once Yin Chai Ling appears, it lures souls and leads them astray; no one can escape. That's why I kicked Yin Chai Ling away, reclaiming the token for myself. Are you trying to take my life?"
The Judge's cold expression finally twisted into a sinister smile. "You know quite a bit."
Ji Zichen frowned deeply. "My lifespan isn't over yet. If you use Yin Chai Ling against me, aren't you afraid of Yama's wrath?"
The Judge laughed dismissively. "How I explain things to Yama is my concern. Today, you're as good as dead."
"Yin and Yang flow together!"
The Judge's blue hat suddenly transformed into black and white. "This is the magical hat given to me by the Underworld. Your artifact is the Five Elements Pearl, right? Don't think you can use such a worthless item against me."
On either side of the great wooden bridge, four large copper mirrors shaped like goose eggs appeared, positioned in front, back, left, and right. The Judge chuckled slowly, "These are copper mirrors connecting Yin and Yang. Don't get pulled into the mirrors by the messengers inside; don't say I didn't warn you."
Within the mirrors appeared the figures of Ox-Head and Horse-Face, along with Black and White Impermanence.
Ji Zichen glanced at the soul-collecting figures in the mirrors and asked, "Can I ask you a question?"
The Judge smiled lightly. "Go ahead; for someone about to die, I will answer anything."
Ji Zichen voiced his confusion. "You used the Ghostly Veil barrier to hide Underworld Town, so why let outsiders in?"
The Judge pondered for a moment and surprisingly opened up to Ji Zichen. "As you said, I'm half-human and half-ghost. Since I'm not a ghost, I inevitably get entangled in worldly matters. Money can make ghosts do work; that's a fact. Yin Chai traverses both realms—without money, that's impossible. In the human realm, I must oversee Underworld Town; that's entrusted to me by Yama. In the underworld, I need to spend money to reward the underworld officials for their assistance. If I don't let outsiders in, how can I generate silver?"
"Every time the Ghost Gate opens wide, many ghost officials and messengers bring their families to play in Underworld Town. If I don't keep this place spotless, how can they respect me? No ghost would stay in a dirty place, let alone travelers passing through. The Ghostly Veil isn't meant to hide Underworld Town; it's to keep the living away. Merchants who frequently pass by know that around mid-July, Underworld Town will set up a barrier to inform them not to enter unless they wish to dine, live, and sleep with the spirits."
Lin Chuyu felt a chill run down her spine. "The barrier has been set up, which means...!"
"Today is the fourteenth of July," Judge stated clearly.
Ji Zichen was taken aback. "With so much happening lately, I completely forgot what date it is."
Ji Zichen couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Why didn't Uncle Meng tell me about this rule? Otherwise, I wouldn't be in this mess."
Judge responded to Ji Zichen's question as if they were friends. "Do you have any more questions?"
Ji Zichen shook off her worries, focused her mind, and stood alert. "No more."
Judge laughed coldly. "That's good. Next year on the fourteenth of July, you're all welcome to visit Underworld Town as lonely souls!"
Ji Zichen furrowed her brow and fixed her sharp gaze on Judge, thinking, "To get rid of Yin Chai Ling, I need to kill Yin Chai. But the problem is that killing Yin Chai will shorten my life. Still, I can't worry about that now!"
She raised her voice to warn the two behind her. "You two, be careful! Don't let Ox-Head and Horse-Face pull you into the mirror. As long as we kill Yin Chai, we'll be fine."
Ji Zichen drew her Demon-Slaying Sword and leaped to the center of the bridge, aiming for Judge's position at the other end. Judge stood still with a proud smile. As he moved his hand, a bronze mirror shifted in front of Ji Zichen. From within the mirror, Horse Face swung chains toward her. Ji Zichen deflected the chains with her Demon-Slaying Sword and declared, "A mere mirror can't block my path!"
With a flash of Thunder Pearl in her hand, she shouted, "Furnace Thunder!" A thunderclap struck the mirror; however, the bronze mirror remained intact and unbroken. Judge coldly smiled after witnessing this. "Thunder can't break the bronze mirror; that had no effect at all. I'm still here, aren't I? Your Five Elements Pearl is worthless."
Ji Zichen felt a surge of anxiety. "This Yin Chai is not easy to deal with."
Lin Chuyu and Chen San stood ready, one wielding a Vajra and the other a Machete, on guard against their enemy. Lin Chuyu, seeing that even thunder could not shatter the mirror, exclaimed urgently, "This mirror is impressive!"
Chen San felt a wave of panic. "I've heard that the Underworld Forest has a passage leading to the Underworld. I used to think it was just a rumor, but now it seems to be true. If we don't have the Water Rope to pull us out, will we be dragged into the Underworld Passage?"
Before finding a flaw, Ji Zichen hesitated to act. He needed some time to uncover a weakness. "I heard that becoming a Yin Chai isn't something you can just decide to do."
The Judge responded with a low grunt from his nose. "You know this too?"
Ji Zichen replied, "I heard that to become a Yin Chai, one must strangle a pregnant woman to death and then cut her open to take the baby. If the baby survives, it is placed in the coffin with the mother's corpse for forty-nine days."
Lin Chuyu gasped. "But how can a baby survive for forty-nine days without milk?"
Ji Zichen explained, "Of course, it feeds on the maggots that come from the decaying corpse."
The Judge let out a strange laugh, reminiscent of a weasel's cackle. "You really talk too much."
Ji Zichen declared, "I refuse to believe that the Five Elements Pearl can't kill you. This is a divine artifact! It cannot be compared to your underworld tools."
The Judge laughed maniacally. "Another mention of the Five Elements Pearl! Do you know anything else? Keep trying if you wish; I'll make sure you die with complete understanding."
Comment 0 Comment Count